To whom it may interest, I'm just keeping Michigan basketball fans in the know aboutsome of the recent ex Wolverines trying to make it in the NBA or elsewhere.
DeShawn Sims-Has a spot with the Boston Celtics summer league team. Don't know how well he's doing. Could be NBDL bound and a possible late season call up. Tryingto make it to training camp right now.
Courtney Sims-I hear he might actually earn a spot with the Lakers. He's averaging around 12 and 6 in summer league play. Averaged 18 and 9(I could be wrong) in the NBDL last year. He's spent time with the Pacers and Knicks the past few years. I hope he's toughned up from his Michigan days.
Chris Hunter- I know he played in the NBDL and also earned a call up from the Golden State Warriors. He could possibly earn a spot on the opening night roster.
Manny Harris-He probably faces the steepest climb of them all. He has the ability but probably should've stayed his senior season in college. Currently on the Cleveland Cavaliers summer league roster. He's played only five minutes though, due to a "severe" ankle sprain. Last game he was in street clothes. Not a good sign. Probably suited for overseas duty or the NBDL.
Showing posts with label Manny Harris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manny Harris. Show all posts
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
College basketball's biggest busts
It's getting closer to tourney time,and there are quite a few teams that have grossly underacheived this season.Among the biggest busts this year:
North Carolina-They belong at the top of this list.There was going to be a dip in the win column this season,but no one saw this avalanche coming.Coming off a championship season,no one expected them to win it again.There were a few holdovers from last year's squad and Roy Williams brought in a monster recruiting class as usual.But something wasn't right with the brew.For some reason,everything didn't mesh.Even good ol' Roy didn't have the answer. Also,with Larry Drew becoming a turnover machine at point gurd didn't help.They'll be back next year,so this was the year to pick them off.
Oklahoma-The prognosticators had the Sooners finishing in the top half of the Big 12.With player of the year candidate Willie Warren back,along with freshman Tommy Mason-Griffin and Keith 'Tiny' Gallon trying to replace the inside void left by Blake Griffin.Just like North Carolina,coach Jeff Capel jsut couldn't put a finger on what was wrong with his team.From the outside looking in,Warren never developed as a leader and it seemed that he had an eye on the NBA.There was a late season arrest of two players to make matters worse.Capel is promising to lay down the law for next season and there might be some unhappy campers in Soonerland.
UCLA-Everyone knew UCLA wouldn't be the team that has ruled the Pac-10 the last few seasons.The folks around Westwood didn't expect losses to the likes of Long Beach State,Portland,or Cal-State Fullerton.True they didn't have the talent they had in previous years,but they fell off the map.The freshman this year will use this as a learning experience and they should be back to playing the kind of ball that UCLA fans are used to seeing.You know Ben Howland is seething.
Michigan-Where do i begin? For one,they were overrated.I thought they were a top 30 team at worse.I just didn't think they'd put up a stinker of a season.They rely too much on three pointers,no one except Manny Harris can get there own shot or take it to the basket and they're not athletic enough.Also,they don't have enough size inside to battle with some of the rugged teams in the Big Ten.John Beilein is a good coach,but he green lights far too many three's.Later in the season it seemed that teams backed off and dared them to make one,since they were so abysmal from the outside.Some of their posessions reminded me of the Tommy Amaker era.Running down the shot clock and taking a rushed shot.There were 11 games in which they didn't break 60 points.4 games they didn't break 50 points.That is unacceptable.The Wolverines fell well short of the NCAA tournament and barring a run in the Big Ten tournament,won't make the NIT.Not even the ghost of Kevin Pittsnogle could've saved this team
Cincinnati-Mick Cronin had an experienced team that fell short of the NCAA's last year and were primed to make a run at the tournament with the addition of super recruit Lance Stephenson.Unless they win the Big East tournament they'll also be NIT bound.Just like the Bob Huggins led teams from years past,they have no snipers on the team.Translation,no one that can hit a consistent jump shot.Stephenson needs to stay in school and they need to get a bonafide shooter on this team to get them to the next level.
North Carolina-They belong at the top of this list.There was going to be a dip in the win column this season,but no one saw this avalanche coming.Coming off a championship season,no one expected them to win it again.There were a few holdovers from last year's squad and Roy Williams brought in a monster recruiting class as usual.But something wasn't right with the brew.For some reason,everything didn't mesh.Even good ol' Roy didn't have the answer. Also,with Larry Drew becoming a turnover machine at point gurd didn't help.They'll be back next year,so this was the year to pick them off.
Oklahoma-The prognosticators had the Sooners finishing in the top half of the Big 12.With player of the year candidate Willie Warren back,along with freshman Tommy Mason-Griffin and Keith 'Tiny' Gallon trying to replace the inside void left by Blake Griffin.Just like North Carolina,coach Jeff Capel jsut couldn't put a finger on what was wrong with his team.From the outside looking in,Warren never developed as a leader and it seemed that he had an eye on the NBA.There was a late season arrest of two players to make matters worse.Capel is promising to lay down the law for next season and there might be some unhappy campers in Soonerland.
UCLA-Everyone knew UCLA wouldn't be the team that has ruled the Pac-10 the last few seasons.The folks around Westwood didn't expect losses to the likes of Long Beach State,Portland,or Cal-State Fullerton.True they didn't have the talent they had in previous years,but they fell off the map.The freshman this year will use this as a learning experience and they should be back to playing the kind of ball that UCLA fans are used to seeing.You know Ben Howland is seething.
Michigan-Where do i begin? For one,they were overrated.I thought they were a top 30 team at worse.I just didn't think they'd put up a stinker of a season.They rely too much on three pointers,no one except Manny Harris can get there own shot or take it to the basket and they're not athletic enough.Also,they don't have enough size inside to battle with some of the rugged teams in the Big Ten.John Beilein is a good coach,but he green lights far too many three's.Later in the season it seemed that teams backed off and dared them to make one,since they were so abysmal from the outside.Some of their posessions reminded me of the Tommy Amaker era.Running down the shot clock and taking a rushed shot.There were 11 games in which they didn't break 60 points.4 games they didn't break 50 points.That is unacceptable.The Wolverines fell well short of the NCAA tournament and barring a run in the Big Ten tournament,won't make the NIT.Not even the ghost of Kevin Pittsnogle could've saved this team
Cincinnati-Mick Cronin had an experienced team that fell short of the NCAA's last year and were primed to make a run at the tournament with the addition of super recruit Lance Stephenson.Unless they win the Big East tournament they'll also be NIT bound.Just like the Bob Huggins led teams from years past,they have no snipers on the team.Translation,no one that can hit a consistent jump shot.Stephenson needs to stay in school and they need to get a bonafide shooter on this team to get them to the next level.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Michigan's Harris should stay in school
I'm no advisor or NBA personnel guru,but Harris needs to tune up his game to catch the eyes of NBA honchos.Since his freshman season he has made strides,but still needs to work on a few things to be an NBA player.Harris has the talent and I believe the drive to have a career in the league.He has worked on going to his left and you can tell when you see him in game action.That is something he should've been working on in high school.He can get to the basket and is a decent finisher.His game is better suited to an uptempo style of play,although he has done well in coach John Beilein's system.He has the tools and athleticism to be a good defender,but must learn how to not pick up cheap fouls.Harris also needs to work on that scissor kick jump shot.He has to square up better and not kick his feet out when he shoots.If he can become more consistent with his shot,he can be NBA material.
I think he has the talent to get there.I just think that if he wants to go after a season in which Michigan was expected to excel and be a top 20 team,it will be a mistake.Only if he somehow puts this team on his back and steals the Big Ten tournament and has a couple of dazzling games once he gets there.I doubt that happens,but that might be the only way he gets high on the radar of NBA execs.If I'm in his shoes,I stay put.Maybe enter my name in the draft,get some workouts and see what the suits say I have to work on and come back for my senior season.Especially since he'll be the main threat on a young Wolverines team that won't be expected to do much.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)